The Mediterranean Slow Cooker Cookbook (18 page)

Put the swordfish into the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and sauté the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, and oregano for 3 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften. Add the tomatoes, and stir to blend. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert, stir in the capers, and submerge the fish. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, or on low for 2½ to 3 hours.

Stir the parsley into the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Using a fish spatula, transfer the fish to a serving platter, and top with the sauce. Or serve the fish over angel hair pasta, with some of the sauce on the side.

Braised Swordfish in the Style of the Greek Isles

When I think of Greek fish dishes, I think of lemon, garlic, oregano, and Lots of great extra-virgin olive oil to flavor the fish. This dish has all of that. Swordfish has a bold flavor; if you would Like to substitute another fish, choose one with dense flesh, like halibut, snapper, sea bass, cod, or salmon.

SERVES 6

¼ cup/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp dried Greek oregano

1 tsp sweet paprika

½ cup/120 ml fresh lemon juice

1 cup/240 ml dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, or dry vermouth

2½ lb/1.2 kg swordfish fillets

½ cup/30 g finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 lemon, thinly sliced

In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic, oregano, and paprika for 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Transfer the mixture to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. Stir in the lemon juice and wine. Arrange the swordfish in the bottom of the slow cooker, spooning the sauce over the fish. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 1 hour, or on low for 2 hours.

Using a spatula, transfer the swordfish to a serving platter, and remove any skin or bones. Add the parsley to the sauce, and spoon it over the fish. Garnish the fish with the lemon slices and serve.

VARIATION

If you would like to add a vegetable to the fish, baby artichokes are a great choice. Cut off the stems and snap off the tough outer leaves of 6 baby artichokes. Quarter the artichokes and add them to the liquid in the slow cooker; the cooking time will remain the same.

Monkfish Braised with Peppers

Monkfish is a rather ugly fish, but it is rich and delicious, especially when braised in white wine with confetti-colored bell peppers. This dish is terrific served over rice or pasta. If you can’t get monkfish, substitute cod, halibut, or sea bass.

SERVES 6

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 large sweet yellow onion, such as Vidalia, thinly sliced

1 tsp dried thyme

1 medium yellow bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced

1 medium orange bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced

1 medium red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced

1 cup/240 ml dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, or dry vermouth

½ cup/120 ml tomato purée

2½ lb/1.1 kg monkfish fillets

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and sauté the onion, thyme, and bell peppers for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onion is softened. Add the wine and tomato purée, and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. Lay the monkfish on top of the bell peppers, spooning some of the sauce over the top. Cover and cook on high for 1½ hours, or on low for 3 hours, until the fish is cooked through.

Carefully remove the monkfish from the slow cooker with a large spatula and transfer to a platter. Serve topped with the sauce.

Salt Cod and Potatoes

Salt cod is popular along the northern Mediterranean, and it appears in many traditional dishes, such as Sicilian fritters and a Provençal purée called
brandade.
This important dietary staple makes a great slow-cooked one-pot meal. My
nonna
would make this dish on cold wintry days, and the smell was so enticing, even to a child who wasn’t fond of the smell of the
baccalà
in the Italian grocery store. Serve it with sautéed Swiss chard, escarole, or spinach. Salt cod needs to be soaked 2 days ahead of time to remove the salt and make it easy for you to remove the bones and skin before cooking.

SERVES 6

1 lb/455 g salt cod

4 cups/960 ml milk

¼ cup/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Pinch of red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1 cup/240 ml dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, or dry vermouth

One 28- to 32-oz/800- to 910-g can chopped tomatoes, with their juice

1 lb/455 g tiny new potatoes (red, white, or Yukon gold), scrubbed, and skin left on if perfect

¼ cup/15 g finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Break the cod into pieces that will fit into a 9-by-13-in/23-by-33-cm baking dish. Put the cod in the dish, cover with the milk, and turn over the fish. Cover and refrigerate for 2 days, turning the cod to make sure that it is soaking in the milk. When the cod has soaked, drain it and discard the milk. Remove any bones and skin from the cod, wash it under cold running water, and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onion, red pepper flakes, garlic, and oregano for 3 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and let it evaporate a bit. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 4- to 6-qt/3.5- to 5.5-L slow cooker, and stir in the tomatoes. Add the cod, pushing it down into the sauce, and arrange the potatoes in the insert. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or on low for 6 hours, until the potatoes are tender.

Stir in the parsley, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Pesto-Glazed Cod on a Bed of Risotto

Although this dish is made with cod, any fish with thick flesh, such as snapper, halibut, or sea bass, will work here. A fragrant basil and sun-dried tomato pesto gives this simple fish a lovely flavor, and the bed of creamy rice beneath the cod is infused with the flavors of the fish and the pesto. Basil pesto is a classic sauce from the seaport of Genoa. The addition here of sun-dried tomatoes and a bit of balsamic vinegar gives it a lot of personality.

SERVES 6

FOR THE PESTO

1½ cups/150 g oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

6 garlic cloves, peeled

1 cup/45 g packed fresh basil leaves

½ cup/55 g pine nuts

1 cup/115 g freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

½ cup/120 ml olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2½ to 3 lb/1.2 to 1.4 kg Atlantic cod fillets

FOR THE RICE

6 tbsp/85 g unsalted butter

½ cup/80 g finely chopped sweet yellow onion, such as Vidalia

2 cups/430 g Arborio rice

½ cup/120 ml dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, or dry vermouth

4 cups/960 ml seafood stock, or 2 cups clam juice mixed with 2 cups chicken broth

¼ cup/10 g packed basil leaves, finely chopped, for garnish

TO MAKE THE PESTO / In a food processor, combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil, pine nuts, and Parmigiano-Reggiano and process for about 1 minute. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil and vinegar and process until thoroughly incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and process for another 30 seconds. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Spread a ¼-in/6-mm layer of the pesto over the cod fillets, and refrigerate until ready to cook.

TO MAKE THE RICE / In a large skillet, melt 4 tbsp of the butter over medium-high heat, add the onion, and sauté for 3 minutes, until softened. Add the rice and cook for another 1 minute to coat the rice grains. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Transfer the mixture to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker, and stir in the stock.

Carefully place the pesto-coated cod over the rice. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 1 hour, until the rice is creamy and the fish is opaque.

Carefully lift the cod out of the slow cooker using a fish spatula, and transfer to a plate. Stir the remaining 2 tbsp butter into the rice, and transfer the rice to a serving platter. Arrange the fish over the rice, and garnish with the chopped basil before serving.

Halibut Provençal

The sunny flavors of Provence, in the South of France, infuse this lovely seafood dish. A layer of Yukon gold potatoes soaks up the flavor of thick-cut halibut fillets covered with a lemon, garlic, and caper sauce. If you are unable to get halibut, any fish with dense flesh will work here, so try salmon, sea bass, or cod.

SERVES 6

½ cup/120 ml extra-virgin olive oil

Grated zest of 2 lemons

¼ cup/60 ml fresh lemon juice

4 garlic cloves, minced

1½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp sweet paprika

2 tsp herbes de Provence (see Slow Cooker Savvy)

½ cup/50 g oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained

½ cup/50 g capers packed in brine, drained and chopped if large

1 lb/455 g small Yukon gold potatoes, quartered

Six 6-oz/170-g halibut fillets or other thick-fleshed fish

½ cup/30 g finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, herbes de Provence, sun-dried tomatoes, and capers and set aside.

Coat the insert of a 4- to 6-qt/3.5- to 5.5-L slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray, or line it with a slow-cooker liner. Arrange the potatoes in the slow cooker. Drizzle some of the lemon sauce mixture over the potatoes, and toss to coat the potatoes. Arrange the halibut over the potatoes, and pour the remaining sauce over the halibut. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours, or on low for 3½ to 4 hours. The fish will be opaque in the center and the potatoes will be tender.

Arrange the fish on a serving platter, surround with the potatoes, and spoon some of the sauce over the fish. Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

SLOW COOKER SAVVY

Herbes de Provence is an herb blend from the Southern region of France, generally a mixture of dried basil, sage, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, savory, and fennel. Some French cooks also include lavender in the mix.

Shrimp with White Beans, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Basil

Creamy white beans become flavorful and tinted pink when cooked with sun-dried tomatoes. In the last hour of cooking, plump, succulent shrimp are added to the pot to simmer, giving the beans a briny finish. Don’t forget to soak the beans the night before you want to make this dish.

SERVES 6

2 cups/440 g small dried white beans

4 tbsp/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup/80 g finely chopped onion

½ cup/50 g oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped

6 to 7 cups/1.4 to 1.7 L chicken broth

1 lb/455 g large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed

¼ cup/10 g packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

In a colander, wash the beans in cold water, picking them over for any broken beans or stones. Put the beans in a large bowl, and cover with at least 2 in/5 cm of cold water. Cover with plastic wrap, and let soak overnight. Rinse the beans thoroughly, and put them in the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker.